Truck Bed Protection

   / Truck Bed Protection #1  

deere5105

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
1,047
Location
South Mississippi
Tractor
2008 John Deere 5303 MFWD
I am considering options on protecting new truck bed, 2014 F150 with 5.5' bed. Last vehicle I went with the spray in liner and had no problems. Previous trucks I used combinations of bed rail protectors and rubber mats. I am not terribly rough on truck bed and don't feel the spray in liner is worth the extra cost for my use. I am leaning toward what appears to be an industry standard 3/8" rubber bed mat and probably tailgate mat too. Will not require bed rail protectors as the truck comes standard with those in place. Stopped by one accessory store and salesman was not very supportive of the rubber tailgate mat due to number of holes drilled. I would have liked to have had tailgate step, but don't think I am willing to pay full price to swap out now. That would have took care of the tailgate question. I do realize that the tailgate mat can get "snagged" loading items and torn loose. One option may be to just skip the tailgate mat altogether.

Curious if any others have been this route and if so had any experiences that would steer me in another direction.
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #2  
I am considering options on protecting new truck bed, 2014 F150 with 5.5' bed. Last vehicle I went with the spray in liner and had no problems. Previous trucks I used combinations of bed rail protectors and rubber mats. I am not terribly rough on truck bed and don't feel the spray in liner is worth the extra cost for my use. I am leaning toward what appears to be an industry standard 3/8" rubber bed mat and probably tailgate mat too. Will not require bed rail protectors as the truck comes standard with those in place. Stopped by one accessory store and salesman was not very supportive of the rubber tailgate mat due to number of holes drilled. I would have liked to have had tailgate step, but don't think I am willing to pay full price to swap out now. That would have took care of the tailgate question. I do realize that the tailgate mat can get "snagged" loading items and torn loose. One option may be to just skip the tailgate mat altogether.

Curious if any others have been this route and if so had any experiences that would steer me in another direction.

We do our own spay ins now. Kit is about $120 by Raptor on Amazon or Ebay. This is the real deal, no cheap Autozone stuff. I do order plastic tailgate protectors. They seem the best option.

Chris
 
   / Truck Bed Protection
  • Thread Starter
#3  
We do our own spay ins now. Kit is about $120 by Raptor on Amazon or Ebay. This is the real deal, no cheap Autozone stuff. I do order plastic tailgate protectors. They seem the best option.

Chris
And attach the plastic protectors with self-tapping screws? Had thought if going that route to try to find stainless fasteners and washers to prevent rusting.
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #4  
deere 5105, the situation that you've described is stainless screws electrically connected to mild steel. This arrangement will protect the screws from rusting at the expense of the mild steel tailgate.

In a very dry environment I would expect very little rusting. But if the rubber mat were to "hold" moisture in and around this stainless steel/mild steel juncture you will have rusting there, and localized to the exposed area because the remainder of the tailgate is coated. Only the self-tapping thread/hole is exposed, so that location will do all of the cathodic protection of the stainless screws. SS screws don't really need protection but the bare steel will protect the screws anyway by sacrificing itself.

Heres another way to think about it. If you used zinc plated screws there, ---->and they rusted after some time<--- they have sacrificed all of their zinc coating to protect the screws and tailgate from rusting. After some time, the zinc has depleted then you start to see steel rusting. It could be screw only, or screws and tailgate. If you use stainless steel screws there, the screw itself will never rust, but there's still the same amount of electrolysis occurring, and it's your tailgate being sacrificed while the screws are fine. Steel and stainless is not a good combination to use in an outdoor environment. You may notice the Auto mfr doesn't use stainless fasteners. I don't know what coating they use on their exposed fasteners, it might be zinc plus a sealer.

All of this is a moot point if there is no water. And it all gets worse if there's an electrolyte in the water (salt?)
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #5  
Screws will not rust- the sheet metal that they go into will rust worse because you have broken the paint there. Worked at a Ford dealer and the best truck trade ins had a plastic insert that had the bed coated with good old paste wax. This was done before going to Ziebart. Customer had done it himself and never wiped the wax off. We pulled the liner and tossed it during reconditioning. Bed looked new.
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #6  
Disclosure....I spray Gatorhyde bedliners as a business so I am biased......would never consider a drop in liner as they always hold moisture and will rub the paint raw as they move around over the years and of course cause rust. Look around for an independent guy to spray the truck properly...avoid the high cost franchise places like Rhino and you should be able to get it done for under $400...just make sure the technicians knows what he is doing. Bed should be scuffed up good for adhesion....don't let then use just a cleaning agent. Good luck and enjoy the new truck.
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #7  
On my current and previous trucks I have a hard shell locking tonneau cover so opted for what is called a bed rug. Basically a bed rug is custom fitted carpet which covers the floor, 3 side walls and tailgate and keeps the actual metal like new. Chevy has them in their online accessories and they are also available aftermarket.
On 2 trucks prior to those I had the spray in rubberized liner which held up very well. When I traded in those trucks the dealer and new owners they sold them to were very happy to see a pickup bed that was clean and wasn't all dinged up.

I tried the plastic drop in liners on previous trucks without a cap or cover. I found that water from rain or snow would get in between the liner and the bed and would start to rust the bed.

IMO if you have a cap or tonneau cover to keep the weather out you can use the rubber mat, bed rug, spray in or plastic drop in liner. If the bed is uncovered I would only use the spray in liner. A rubber mat will work but water can get in between it and the bed.
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #8  
Previous truck I waxed the bed well and put in a drop in liner. 10 years later when I sold the truck the bed was perfect.

Current truck I brushed on liner (I think Rustoleum, but I'm not sure) after scuffing up the paint. then I installed a rubber fitted mat (bed only, not tailgate.) After 11 years there's a couple of spots that I might touch up where I dropped something heavy but there's no rust in the bed. I like the mat because it's so much easier on the knees than a bare bed or a liner.

Unless I was expecting very heavy duty service, I would just do the bed myself instead of paying for a commercial spray job. It's a pretty easy task and only costs about $50.
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #9  
George is pretty much right on...you have to judge what type of work you doing.....if you are just hauling you groceries and you have a cap then no big deal....if you use it like a truck then in my humble if slightly biased opinion a spray in is essential
 
   / Truck Bed Protection #10  
I too, use a hard (tri-fold) tonneau cover. I've had drop-in liners & find them too slick for my use. I use 1/2" plywood or chip board in mine.
 
 
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